Christmas Is An Opportunity

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:17

This was one of the verses that our Pastor talked about yesterday at church. As soon as I read it, something clicked and I thought, I'm blogging about that tomorrow after thinking on it some more. So I've been thinking on it, and my first thought is that it's really a shame that when everyone memorizes John 3:16, that they don't just tack this on the end as well. It speaks volumes about one of the things that I think we do wrong as Christians... "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world," If Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, why is it that we do so often?

Because we do! We put on our Christian hats and walk around like we're better than everyone around us, like we have some secret to being happy, and nope, we're not sharing, because we're better than them, and why would we want to even think about talking and mingling with those of the world. I know you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't experienced it yourself, or done it yourself, you've seen it. What's so awful is that is such the opposite of how we should be behaving. Jesus came to save. Jesus, who was filled with compassion and love for even the most unlovable, came to earth to die for us, and we can't be bothered to share that wonderful news with those around us?

So I see Christmas as an opportunity. It's an opportunity as we're spending time with friends, family, loved ones, and not so loved ones, to practice what we read in the Bible. It's an opportunity to stop looking at others with eyes of condemnation or pity, and an opportunity for empathy and compassion. It's an opportunity to love, because Jesus loved us first, and that's what he would do. Jesus loved unconditionally, he didn't look at a person and think about how he didn't agree with their choices in life. He would simply love them and hopefully in that act of loving, he would make a difference in that person's life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18

Those people who we walk past every day without another thought are already condemned... they are condemned because the don't know the same Jesus that we do, and it's up to us to share that great news with them and pull them out of condemnation. It is our job to reverse the condemnation on their lives, not add to the condemnation by turning up our noses at them.

So let's act and believe and love this Christmas. I pray that as I come across those who need his love, that it will ooze from my pores and they will know that I have something that they need. Christmas should be about love, and I plan to do my best to make it that way.